Drugs Of Abuse - Sunshine Coast Health Centre

panic. You need to know four basic facts to give
appropriate fi rst aid for a drug overdose:
• what drug was taken – container labels may identify
the drug; otherwise, save vomit and give it to medical
help for analysis.
• how much drug was taken – estimate the quantity
that may have been taken based on what you see or
are told – the number of pills originally in the
container, the amount of drug in the bottle, etc.
Estimate the size/age of the casualty.
• how the drug entered the body – fi rst aid may diff er
for drugs taken by the mouth, injected into the blood
or breathed into the lungs.
• when the drug was taken – the length of time the
drug has been in the body will help determine the fi rst
aid and medical care needed.
Signs and symptoms of a drug overdose
If the history does not reveal what drug was taken, or
by what means it was taken, signs and symptoms may
be helpful in answering these questions. All drugs may
aff ect consciousness, breathing and circulation. Other
signs and symptoms may vary depending on how the
drug was taken. Drugs that have been:
• swallowed usually cause nausea, abdominal cramps,
diarrhea and vomiting. They may discolour the lips,
cause burns in or around the mouth or
leave an odour on the breath.
• injected through the skin usually
irritate the point of entry and may
cause an allergic or behavioural
reaction.
• inhaled may cause problems
with breathing. Signs and
symptoms may include coughing, chest pain and
diffi culty breathing. Prolonged lack of oxygen will
cause headache, dizziness, unconsciousness, stopped
breathing and cardiac arrest.
General fi rst aid for a drug overdose
1 Begin Emergency Site Management (ESM) – do
a scene survey. Gather any information about the
Sunshine Coast Health Center
suspected drug. Assess the casualty’s responsiveness.
• If the casualty is responsive, call the Poison Information
Centre in your region, or your hospital emergency
department. Answer any questions and follow their
advice on fi rst aid.
• If the casualty is unresponsive, call 911 immediately
and go to step 2.
2 Do a primary survey. If breathing is stopped begin
CPR. Check for poisonous material around the mouth
fi rst. Use a barrier device if you have one.
3 Place the unconscious breathing casualty into the
recovery position.
4 Give ongoing casualty care until medical help takes
over.
The recovery position.
Extracted and revised from “First on the Scene:
the Complete Guide to First Aid and CPR”, 2000,
The Prior of Canada of the Most Venerable
order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem.
Tips to Help Reduce the Risk of Overdose
If you use depressant drugs like heroin the following tips
will help you reduce your risk of overdose:
• avoid using other drugs, especially sedatives or alcohol,
on the same day
• use a small amount and always have a trial “taste” of a
new batch
• have someone with you when you are using
• avoid injecting in places where no-one can get to you
if you do overdose
• know the telephone numbers of the ambulance
service
27